Stay on target

They’re generally nocturnal and spooky-looking, so it’s no surprise that bats are the (un)official animals of Halloween. But bats are also cooler than you think: They are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. And with super-long fingers and a wing membrane stretched between, the bat’s wing anatomically resembles the human hand, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. Cool yet creepy, right? Also, Hollywood loves them. Millions of movie-goers pay to see a caped crusader named Batman on the big screen.

And there’s nothing like seeing these amazing animals by the millions. “Bat tourists” are actually traveling the word to embark on a new kind of wildlife watching. And that’s good. Bat tourism can help with bat conservation efforts, according to Bat Conservation International.

1. Kasanka National Park, Zambia

Photo Credit: Nick Garbutt/Barcroft Media/Getty Images

More than 10 million straw-colored fruit bats arrive in the forest inside Kasanka National Park in northern Zambia between October and December each year, a phenomenon known as one of world's largest migration of mammals. It's an impressive sight, especially during sunrise and sunset when the bats take flight in search of seed-rich fruits. The park organizes viewings from their treetop hides for ultimate bat sightings.

2. Congress Avenue Bridge, Austin, Texas

Photo Credit: Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images

Summer is prime bat-viewing time in Austin, Texas, when up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats make their home under Congress Avenue Bridge, forming the largest urban bat colony in North America. Crowds flock to the bridge to at dusk to see the bats swarm out for their nightly food flights. Something the insects of Austin must dread: The bridge bats eat as much as 140,000 pounds of bugs a week.

3. Goa Lawah Temple, Bali, Indonesia

Photo Credit: DeAgostini/Getty Images

This might be better than Batman's cave. The Goa Lawah ("Bat Cave" in Balinese) Temple in Indonesia is an ancient cave temple built in the 11th century and is very important to the Balinese, as it's part of the nine holy places of worship in the island. But it's also known for one other thing: Its cave walls literally vibrate from the thousands of bats that live there. Legend has it that a giant snake king (complete with crown) makes the temple his home as well. Want to visit? The temple is about an hour's drive from Denpasar City.

4. Bracken Cave, San Antonio, Texas

Photo Credit: Ann Froschaugen/USFWS

Bats sure love Texas. The Bracken Cave on the northern outskirts of San Antonio is the summer home of more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. The sight of the bats zooming out of the cave is said to be not unlike seeing a tornado — a tornado that flies out over the agricultural field and eats pests. The best times to visit Bracken Cave are July and August because days are longer. Baby bats are also born in June and start flying in July.

5. Cairns, Australia

Photo Credit: CucombreLibre/Flickr

Australia is home to some pretty gnarly creatures and some are downright terrifying — Sydney funnel-web spider, anyone? The Queensland city of Cairns, located near the tropical rainforests of northern Australia, is known for its population of spectacled flying foxes, which are large fruit bats. During the day, residents and visitors often see the flying foxes just hanging in trees, even in the suburbs, and the grounds of the Cairns library is said to be one of the best places to spot the bats flying off to find food.

6. Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Philippines

Photo Credit: I Travel Philippines/Flickr (www.wayph.com)

Located near Davao City in the Philippines, the Monfort Bat Sanctuary holds a Guinness World Record for being home to the world’s largest known population of Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats. Approximately 2.5 million Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats live in the Monfort Bat Cave. Tours of the cave are available, and the best time to visit is late afternoon, when millions of bats take flight to find food.

7. Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia

Photo Credit: Loop Images/UIG via Getty Images

Twelve species of bats have been recorded to live in Deer Cave in Malaysian Borneo's Gunung Mulu National Park, including up to 3.5 million Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats. The bats gather at the cave entrance nightly in large ring-shaped formations, circling higher and higher up the cliff face before moving out across the rainforest in spiraling ribbons, in a spectacle that's said to be one of nature's greatest sight. We believe it.